OSCILLATING BED
An oscillating bed includes a stand or base with spaced apart, head and foot upright members. A body supporting member generally defines the length and width of the bed and has a foot end and a head end defining a longitudinal axis and longitudinally extending rims along opposed sides with a curved surface extending lateral to the longitudinal axis between the foot end and the head end. The head upright member is pivotally attached to the head end and the foot upright member is pivotally attached to the foot end and supports the body supporting member relative to the stand for oscillatory movement. A rotary motor and drive apparatus are coupled to the body supporting member and convert rotary motion of the motor to oscillatory movement of the body supporting member about the longitudinal axis.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/306,040 filed 19 Feb. 2010.
FIELD OF THE INVENTIONThis invention relates to beds and, more particularly, to beds for bedridden patients.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONIn the field of health care, an avoidable complication is one that is the result of being confined to a bed for extended periods of time. Bedsores, also called pressure ulcers or decubitus ulcers, are areas of injured tissue that develop in people who are confined to a bed for extended periods of time or are unable to move for shorter periods of time. Bedsores are common in hospitals and nursing homes and in people bed ridden in their homes. A pressure ulcer is an injury caused by constant pressure to the skin and muscle. When a person cannot change position, pressure closes small blood vessels that nourish the skin and supply oxygen. Unless pressure is relieved and normal circulation resumes, the affected area soon begins to show signs of injury. The resulting wound can destroy tissue, fat, muscle and even lead to amputation and death. These injuries can range from mild, affecting the skin surface only, to severe when a deep decubitus ulcer reaches down to muscle and bone. Bedsores can occur in a short time. Pressure as small as 60 mm Hg applied to a body surface for 1-2 hours can initiate the process of skin breakdown.
To avoid this preventable injury, individuals (e.g. a nurse, care giver, doctor, etc.) must periodically move the patient to a different position to provide the respite required to allow drying and ease of pressure that can produce bedsores on the body. If dutifully performed at frequent intervals, movement of patients can prevent bedsore formation. However, this is a very time consuming and labor intensive procedure often passed over due to unforeseen circumstances, forgotten or simply neglected.
It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy the foregoing and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object the present invention to provide a new and improved bed.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved bed that automatically and periodically moves a patient to prevent bed sores and the like.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONBriefly, to achieve the desired objects of the instant invention in accordance with a preferred embodiment thereof, provided is an oscillating bed including a stand or base with spaced apart, head and foot upright members. A body supporting member generally defines the length and width of the bed. The body supporting member has a foot end and a head end defining a longitudinal axis, and longitudinally extending rims along opposed sides with a curved surface extending lateral to the longitudinal axis between the foot end and the head end, and the curved surface defines a body supporting surface. The head upright member is pivotally attached to the head end of the body supporting member and the foot upright member is pivotally attached to the foot end of the body supporting member. The head and foot upright members support the body supporting member relative to the stand for oscillatory movement. A rotary motor and drive apparatus are coupled to the body supporting member so as to convert rotary motion of the motor to oscillatory movement of the body supporting member about the longitudinal axis.
The desired objects of the instant invention are further achieved in accordance with a specific embodiment of an oscillating bed including a stand or base with spaced apart, head and foot upright members. A body supporting member generally defines the length and width of the bed. The body supporting member has a foot end and a head end defining a longitudinal axis and longitudinally extending rims along opposed sides with a curved surface extending lateral to the longitudinal axis between the foot end and the head end. The curved surface defines a body supporting surface. The foot end includes a foot board that is substantially a continuation of the rims and the head end includes a head board. The head upright member is pivotally attached to the head board and the foot upright member is pivotally attached to the foot board. The head and foot upright members support the body supporting member relative to the stand for oscillatory movement. A stepper motor and drive apparatus are coupled to the body supporting member. The drive apparatus converts rotary motion of the motor to linear motion and the drive apparatus is coupled between the head board and the head upright member to provide oscillatory movement of the body supporting member about the longitudinal axis.
The desired objects of the instant invention are further achieved in accordance with another embodiment of an oscillating bed including a stand or base with spaced apart, head and foot upright members. A molded plastic body supporting member generally defines the length and width of the bed. The body supporting member has a foot end and a head end defining a longitudinal axis and a longitudinally extending rim along opposed sides with a curved surface extending lateral to the longitudinal axis between the foot end and the head end. The curved surface defines a body supporting surface. The foot end includes a foot board that is substantially a continuation of the rim and the head end includes a head board. The body supporting member is formed in a single piece with the curved surface generally arcuate along the width so that the longitudinally extending rims along opposed sides of the curved surface are higher than the center. The head upright member is pivotally attached to the head board and the foot upright member is pivotally attached to the foot board. The head and foot upright members support the body supporting member relative to the stand for oscillatory movement. A stepper motor and drive apparatus are coupled to the body supporting member. The drive apparatus converts rotary motion of the motor to linear motion and the drive apparatus is coupled between the head board and the head upright member to provide oscillatory movement of the body supporting member about the longitudinal axis.
The foregoing and further and more specific objects and advantages of the instant invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:
Turning now to the drawings in which like characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the various figures,
With additional reference to
With additional reference to
A drive mechanism 40 is carried within void 19 of head board 18 and includes a linear actuator 42 and a stepper motor 43 powered by a power source 44. Linear actuator 42 is preferably a worm drive structure converting the rotational movement of stepper motor 43 to linear movement. In this embodiment, linear actuator 42 includes a tubular body 47 and a telescoping drive member 49 mounted within body 47 for relative telescoping action in response to relative rotary movement. Stepper motor 43 has a drive gear attached to the shaft for rotation therewith and the drive gear is meshed with a worm gear extending the length of drive member 49. It will be understood that as stepper motor 43 rotates or steps, drive member 49 telescopes out of or recedes into body 47. A number of different mechanical arrangements can be devised to convert the rotation of motor 43 into linear movement and thence into oscillatory movement of body supporting member 12.
In this preferred embodiment an end 45 of drive member 49 is pivotally coupled to the upper end of upright 26, spaced apart from bearing 32, and an end 46 of body 47 is pivotally coupled to a panel 48 affixed to head board 18 within void 19. End 46 is spaced from bearing 32 preferably proximate a side of panel 48. Motor 43 is coupled to body 47 proximate end 46 so as to drive linear actuator 42 between extended and retracted positions. The linear movement rotates member 12 about axis A in alternating directions, imparting an oscillatory motion to member 12. The speed and angle of the movement can be controlled by a control module 50 mounted on panel 48, in this embodiment.
Control module 50 is electrically connected to power source 44 and to motor 43 and supplies power to motor 43 in accordance with a program set or designed into control module 50. It will be understood that control module 50 can contain fixed circuitry with one program specifically designed to oscillate bed 10 in a predetermined manner, or one or more selectable programs varying in speed and amount of oscillation as well as any time between oscillations, or control module 50 can contain programmable circuitry for changing the oscillations, speed, duration, frequency, etc. to any desired or required program. Further, a preferred simplified embodiment is illustrated in which control module 50 and power source 44 are mounted on the rear surface of panel 48 and only require the power to be turned ON with a simplified movement schedule permanently programmed into control module 50. In this preferred embodiment member 12 is oscillated very slowly between a maximum clockwise point or position to a maximum counterclockwise point or position so as to continuously relieve pressure on a patient's body and assure normal circulation.
Various changes and modifications to the embodiments herein chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those skilled in the art. To the extent that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within the scope thereof which is assessed only by a fair interpretation of the following claims.
Claims
1. An oscillating bed comprising:
- a stand or base including spaced apart, head and foot upright members;
- a body supporting member generally defining the length and width of the bed, the body supporting member having a foot end and a head end defining a longitudinal axis and longitudinally extending rims along opposed sides with a curved surface extending lateral to the longitudinal axis between the foot end and the head end, and the curved surface defining a body supporting surface;
- the head upright member being pivotally attached to the head end of the body supporting member and the foot upright member being pivotally attached to the foot end of the body supporting member, the head and foot upright members supporting the body supporting member relative to the stand for oscillatory movement; and
- a rotary motor and drive apparatus coupled to the body supporting member; the drive apparatus converting rotary motion of the motor to oscillatory movement of the body supporting member about the longitudinal axis.
2. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body supporting member is formed of relatively stiff material that does not bend or otherwise substantially change shape in response to a body lying on it.
3. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the body supporting member is formed in a single piece and the curved surface is generally arcuate along the width so that the longitudinally extending rim along opposed sides of the curved surface are higher than the center.
4. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 3 wherein the body supporting member is formed of a molded plastic.
5. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the stand or base includes wheels.
6. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drive apparatus includes a stepper motor.
7. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 1 wherein the drive apparatus includes a worm drive structure that converts rotational movement of the stepper motor to linear movement.
8. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 7 wherein the worm drive structure includes a tubular body and a telescoping drive member mounted within the body for relative telescoping action in response to relative rotary movement.
9. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 8 wherein one end of the tubular body is pivotally attached to one of the head upright member and the head end of the body supporting member and one end of the telescoping drive member is pivotally attached to the other of the head upright member and the head end of the body supporting member.
10. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 8 wherein the telescoping drive member includes an elongated worm gear and the stepper motor is affixed to the tubular body and includes a gear mated and meshed with the elongated worm gear.
11. An oscillating bed comprising:
- a stand or base including spaced apart, head and foot upright members;
- a body supporting member generally defining the length and width of the bed, the body supporting member having a foot end and a head end defining a longitudinal axis, and longitudinally extending rims along opposed sides with a curved surface extending lateral to the longitudinal axis between the foot end and the head end, the curved surface defining a body supporting surface, and the foot end including a foot board being substantially a continuation of the rims and the head end including a head board;
- the head upright member being pivotally attached to the head board and the foot upright member being pivotally attached to the foot board, the head and foot upright members supporting the body supporting member relative to the stand for oscillatory movement; and
- a stepper motor and drive apparatus coupled to the body supporting member; the drive apparatus converting rotary motion of the motor to linear motion, and the drive apparatus being coupled between the head board and the head upright member to provide oscillatory movement of the body supporting member about the longitudinal axis.
12. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 11 wherein the body supporting member is formed of relatively stiff material that does not bend or otherwise substantially change shape in response to a body lying on it.
13. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 11 wherein the body supporting member is formed in a single piece and the curved surface is generally arcuate along the width so that the longitudinally extending rim along opposed sides of the curved surface are higher than the center.
14. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 13 wherein the body supporting member is formed of a molded plastic.
15. An oscillating bed comprising:
- a stand or base including spaced apart, head and foot upright members;
- a molded plastic body supporting member generally defining the length and width of the bed, the body supporting member having a foot end and a head end defining a longitudinal axis, and longitudinally extending rims along opposed sides with a curved surface extending lateral to the longitudinal axis between the foot end and the head end, the curved surface defining a body supporting surface, the foot end including a foot board being substantially a continuation of the rims and the head end including a head board, and the body supporting member being formed in a single piece with the curved surface generally arcuate along the width so that the longitudinally extending rims along opposed sides of the curved surface are higher than the center;
- the head upright member being pivotally attached to the head board and the foot upright member being pivotally attached to the foot board, the head and foot upright members supporting the body supporting member relative to the stand for oscillatory movement; and
- a stepper motor and drive apparatus coupled to the body supporting member; the drive apparatus converting rotary motion of the motor to linear motion, and the drive apparatus being coupled between the head board and the head upright member to provide oscillatory movement of the body supporting member about the longitudinal axis.
16. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 15 wherein the drive apparatus includes a worm drive structure that converts rotational movement of the stepper motor to linear movement.
17. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 16 wherein the worm drive structure includes a tubular body and a telescoping drive member mounted within the body for relative telescoping action in response to relative rotary movement.
18. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 17 wherein one end of the tubular body is pivotally attached to one of the head upright member and the head end of the body supporting member and one end of the telescoping drive member is pivotally attached to the other of the head upright member and the head end of the body supporting member.
19. An oscillating bed as claimed in claim 17 wherein the telescoping drive member includes an elongated worm gear and the stepper motor is affixed to the tubular body and includes a gear mated and meshed with the elongated worm gear.
Type: Application
Filed: Feb 16, 2011
Publication Date: Sep 15, 2011
Inventors: Howard Johnston (Scottsdale, AZ), Willard R. Wilson (Casa Grande, AZ)
Application Number: 13/028,337
International Classification: A61G 7/008 (20060101);